Trapped
by Vanyaria Darkshadow
Summary: Snape, Potter, Weasely, Granger, Longbottom and Malfoy... all trapped in the dungeon. As tempers wear thin and bellys begin to rumble, questions begin to arise - who *really* likes who? who wants to eat who? and more importantly - will they get out alive?
1. In which Ron and Harry are in trouble

Trapped  
  
~#~  
  
"Leave your potions to simmer gently and clean up your working areas, class," Professor Severus Snape called out as he swept around the classroom inspecting potions, glaring at Gryffindors, and nodding in satisfaction towards the Slytherins.  
  
Hermione gave her potion one last stir and then left it bubbling softly as she began to pack away all of her unused ingredients. She jotted down a few notes in her Potions book, and hoped fervently that she had added the exact amount of Wormwood that she was supposed to.  
  
Next to her, Ron and Harry were indulging in their usual childish tendencies (Hermione rolled her eyes), and were flinging unused pieces of Grindylow spleen at each other. They didn't see Snape glide quietly up behind them in his billowing black robes, outraged fury etched across his pale face.  
  
"What," he thundered, "do you two think you are doing?"  
  
Harry's face paled until he was even whiter than the professor. Ron's Grindylow spleen missed Harry and flew past Hermione's face.  
  
"50 points from Gryffindor for your foolish and juvenile behaviour."  
  
"Er. . . Professor. . ."  
  
"Silence, Longbottom, unless you wish to lose your house points also." His voice lowered to a deadly hiss as he turned his attention back to his two miscreant students. "Your silly behaviour is exactly what I would expect from 1st year Gryffindors, not students hoping to pass their NEWT's in 4 months time. I expect all of my students to treat this subject with the respect and commitment it deserves. If you cannot behave then you cannot stay in this class. I will be seeing the headmaster about this," he added, glaring in particular at Harry.  
  
"Professor!!"  
  
While Snape could have easily ignored Neville's pitiful voice for as long as he wished, it was much harder to ignore the hissing and popping noise coming from his cauldron. Snape's gaze turned slowly to the student.  
  
Eyes bugging from his head, Neville was slowly backing away from the hissing cauldron, which was now spewing forth green and white sparks. Ron's misfired spleen had landed in Neville's potions, and it seemed that the extra ingredient was not agreeable.  
  
Snape forgot all about Potter and Weasley. Thinking quickly, the professor grabbed Draco as he passed by and ducked down behind him, using the blonde boy as a shield.  
  
"It's going to explode!" yelled Hermione, throwing herself down behind her desk.  
  
The cauldron began to make loud popping noises and it seemed as though it was hurling out some of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes best fireworks. Several students threw themselves to the stone floor, screaming loudly, while the ones closest to the door made a frantic run for it.  
  
There was a tremendous bang as the cauldron exploded and the classroom shook violently. It seemed as if it was all over, but then a dull roar accompanied the trembling ground. The shaking increased in intensity as the roar became louder and more threatening. Dust and bits of stone were shaken out of the ceiling and walls. Glass jars and bottles containing various ingredients and pickled animals started to fall off their shelves and smash on the stone floor. Hermione felt herself cough and choke on all the dust, but she couldn't hear it - the noise in the classroom was deafening. Bags fell to the stony floor as ripped open, sending quills, parchment and books flying as desks collapsed and cauldrons tipped over. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest as Hermione watched an unbroken jar of crushed Asphodel roll past and she realised with a jolt what was going on. . .  
  
The castle was collapsing.  
  
~#~  
  
Draco groaned. His head - oh his head! It felt as if someone was crushing it in a vice. On top of that, there was something hard digging into his back.  
  
"Get off me, Malfoy."  
  
Draco opened his eyes to complete darkness. He scrambled about to obey the potion masters voice and tried to stand up. In the pitch-blackness he hit his head on something hard. He swore loudly and crouched back down clutching his aching skull.  
  
In the dark beside him, Draco heard Snape shuffling around in his pockets, then uttering, "Lumos".  
  
Draco blinked in the sudden light. When his eyes adjusted, he felt his stomach drop.  
  
The classroom had caved in. He was trapped under tonnes and tonnes of stone.  
  
It couldn't have been worse, Draco thought to himself in dismay.  
  
But it was.  
  
~#~  
  
A/N Short chapter, I know. But it's a bit of a teaser hehehe. Oh how fun it is to be EVIL!! Please r/r - reviews are the highlight of my life!!! 


	2. In which Snape is an angry, angry man

Trapped  
  
~#~  
  
While Draco was commiserating himself over his rotten luck, Ron was wondering why on earth someone was shining a light in his face. Surely it wasn't time to get up yet?  
  
"Weasley, wake up," said a rather grouchy voice, that neither belonged to his mother nor any of his roommates, but seemed to belong to the foot that was kicking him in the side.  
  
"Snape?!?" Ron opened his eyes in horror, only to discover that he wasn't actually in bed, and that, yes, the voice and foot bother belonged to his potions master.  
  
"That's *Professor* to you, Weasley. Learn some respect or you will be in even more trouble than you already are. If that's possible."  
  
"Trouble?" Ron swallowed hard, and wondered what on earth he could have done this time. It took him quite awhile, which was rather sad considering the fact that he was currently lying on the floor of the caved in dungeon.  
  
"Oh," he said after awhile. "That."  
  
"Yes," the Professor hissed. "*That*. We are trapped, Weasley. TRAPPED in this dungeon, all because of your childish behaviour. There is no way out, and there is no way in. We are all stuck here together until someone comes to rescue us. What do you have to say for yourself?"  
  
"Er. . . oops."  
  
~#~  
  
There was a screech from a few feet away from where Ron was lying and Hermione sat up, a look of disgust upon her face.  
  
"Harry! You were *touching* me!"  
  
"Er, was I?"  
  
"Just because the whole, FREAKING castle has collapsed - thanks to you, I might add - and we are all probably going to DIE down here, that gives you NO right to *touch* me."  
  
"It wasn't my fault! It was Ron's piece of Grindylow spleen!"  
  
"Hey!" said Ron, realising that Harry was right, but not wanting to cop the blame. "You started it!"  
  
"I did not!"  
  
"You did too - and it was Hermione's fault for not warning us about Snape."  
  
"*I'm* warning you *now*, Weasley."  
  
"ME!?!" Hermione shrieked. "There's no way you can pin this on me, Ron. It was entirely Harry and your fault this time."  
  
"Well, maybe Neville should have been paying more attention to what was going in his cauldron," said Harry, scowling at the still unconscious boy.  
  
"You can't blame this on Neville! It's Snape's fault for sneaking up on us!"  
  
"SILENCE!" the potions master yelled. He grabbed Ron by the neck of his robes and pulled him up so their faces were only inches apart. "I have had enough of this disrespect, Weasley. 200 points from Gryffindor and be glad you haven't been expelled. . . yet. As for who's fault it is, it is *everyone's* fault," he paused. "Except mine. And don't even consider accusing me again, Weasley or you will wish you were never born."  
  
Ron gulped as Snape threw him back down on the ground.  
  
"Uh, Professor?" said a slimy voice from across the room. "It wasn't *my* fault. I was on the other side of the room -"  
  
"As you are not *me*, Malfoy, it *was* your fault. Don't contradict me. Ever."  
  
Understandably, Professor Snape was in a rather foul mood - after all, the rest of the Hogwarts castle had just crushed his beautiful dungeons, and it would probably be days before they were found - if ever. The fact that he might possibly die in the same room (if it could be called so now that the roof was considerably closer to the floor, there was rubble and dust and massive chunks of rock sprawled across the room, and there was no way out) as Potter and his little fan club was more than Snape could bear, and he scowled menacingly.  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione all saw this look on his face and decided that perhaps they shouldn't say anything else, and instead sat huddled in the corner farthest away from the angry man. Malfoy didn't see the scowl, but was still sulking after being blamed by his favourite teacher for something he hadn't done. He sniffed quietly and wondered what on earth he had done to deserve this.  
  
And so the five people sat in silence, with only Professor Snapes wand shedding light on the bleak situation. Longbottom, who had been hit by the full force of the explosion, was still out cold.  
  
~#~  
  
A/N: Another short chapter, huh? Do forgive me :P Chocolate frogs to all you wonderful people who have reviewed. I've also updated "So that's what they call it now" if any of you were following that. I accidentally deleted it last night, and have lost all my reviews :'( but it's back up again with the latest chapter. 


	3. In which imaginations are working overti...

Trapped  
  
~#~  
  
Ron should have been in a bad mood - or at least a rather subdued one - seeing as he was now stuck in a rather bad situation. It wasn't his fault that the castle had caved in on the dungeons - well, not really. He wasn't too worried about being expelled, considering Harry had done much worse things during his course as a student, and was still, miraculously, here. Although that ugly scar on his forehead probably had something to do with it, Ron was sure, but they could hardly kick out their hero's favourite sidekick, could they? Of course not.  
  
Not that any of these thoughts really made it to Ron's conscious mind. The only thing blaring across his brain at that current moment in time were rather obvious, and to-the-point messages that Ron had already noticed, but was having a hard time comprehending. Messages such as "HERMIONE GRANGER'S ROBE IS TOUCHING YOURS", and "HERMIONE GRANGER IS SO CLOSE TO YOU THAT YOU CAN SMELL HER. AND SHE CAN PROBABLY SMELL YOU.".  
  
Ron's hands were understandably sweaty, and his heart was beating considerably faster than usual - both natural reactions from anyone who was being subjected to such racy thoughts from ones mind. Ron was sure his face and ears were bright red, too, but wasn't sure if this was a side effect from making Longbottom's cauldron explode.  
  
Ron's thought's turned onto a slightly more shocking, and heart racing path, and he began to wonder if Hermione was feeling the same way about him. . .  
  
~#~  
  
Hermione glanced sideways at the boy sitting huddled up next to her. Was he looking at her more often than usual? In fact (she looked closer) was he STARING at her?  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes - teenage boys. It was disgusting how they acted around girls. Anyone who couldn't control their hormones enough to keep their tongue inside their mouth when in the 1 mile vicinity of a member of the opposite sex should really seek urgent medical attention.  
  
And now she was stuck with one of those same, hormone-raging adolescents. It was just her luck. Why couldn't she have been one of those lucky students who had made a run for the exit? Or even better - one of the students who had probably been crushed under millions upon millions of old stone castle? Anything was surely better than being stuck sitting huddled up next to a boy who so obviously couldn't hide his feelings towards her.  
  
Well, she supposed she should be flattered that she could have such a drastic effect on a member of the opposite sex, really - she was only 16, after all, and not all that good looking. But - ew! She considered him to be just a friend! And now here he was, sitting next to her in a cramped, enclosed space. . . with no way out. What was she supposed to do?  
  
"Piss off, Harry. Stop staring at me."  
  
~#~  
  
Severus Snape had been sitting in exactly the same position - head in hands, eyes staring at same spot on the dusty floor, vein in upper temple twitching - for over and hour. Draco knew, because Draco had been timing.  
  
Well, he justified, it's not like there was anything else to do while he was sitting there in the filth and muck waiting to be rescued - because he *was* going to be rescued. He was a Malfoy, and Malfoys' were always rescued.  
  
Speaking of being a Malfoy, Daddy would certainly have something to say about the way he had been treated during the last two hours - first being used as a live shield by the person who was supposed to be keeping a close enough watch on the class to prevent this sort of thing happening. And then, just to add insult to injury, he was blamed for being partially responsible for this whole mess! As if!  
  
Draco scowled. What was the world coming to when a Malfoy could be treated with such disrespect? It was disgusting, an outrage.  
  
And to top it all off, he now had to endure that Mudblood Granger girl staring at him. He knew he was good looking - he *was* a Malfoy, after all - but puh-lease! He thought he had made his feelings toward her and all her little goody-good friends perfectly clear - he was out-of-bounds. Off- limits. Out-of-her-league.  
  
Not that he could blame her for wanting him - who didn't?  
  
Draco smile a little self-satisfied smile to himself. At least he was among admirers - poor though they were, they would do until he was out in the real world again, with people who deserved his company.  
  
~#~  
  
". . . and if one green vial should accidentally fall. . . there'll be 568,937 green vials sitting on the wall. . ." Harry hummed to himself, under his breath.  
  
Whether or not Harry was the only sane person in the odd little group trapped in the caved in dungeon is highly debatable, however he *was* the only one doing something constructive with his time. Counting backwards from one million using a fun and catchy song is always a great way to pass the time.  
  
Halfway through the next verse, Harry happened to glance up and over at the potions master. Harry stopped humming. Was Snape staring at him?  
  
Harry blinked.  
  
No. . . it must have been his imagination.  
  
Frowning, Harry tried to start up his song again, but had lost his place. He shrugged.  
  
"There were one million green vials sitting on a wall. . ."  
  
~#~  
  
A/N well, fancy that - I've updated again! Fantastic noodles huh? I'm going through a big updatey sorta stage, so check back again in a few days, as I just may have added a few more chapters :D Also check out my other fics, which are being updated as quickly as possible as well. :D  
  
Chocolate Frogs, BBEF Beans and Acid pops to all you wonderfully fanfictastic reviewers!!! Loves to you all, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for more insanity, as people start to become paranoid. . . who likes who? who wants to eat who? And more importantly. . . will they ever get saved? 


	4. In which Draco is rather conceited

Trapped  
  
~#~  
  
The strange group had been trapped in the dungeons for almost three hours (mostly in silence), when Neville began to twitch a bit and moan softly. The other five inhabitants of the caved in classroom jumped at the unexpected noise, and looked over to the corner where Longbottom was lying. Hermione, being the kind-hearted witch that she is (not to mention always more than willing to show off her magical prowess), immediately hurried over to the semi-conscious boy and knelt down to help.  
  
"Er. . . Professor?" she began timidly. "I think Neville's -"  
  
"Deal with it," the disgruntled potions master snapped, and reverted his gaze back to the floor of his once-beautiful (or so he thought) dungeon.  
  
Summoning up some gauze, Hermione gently wrapped Neville's head up, and then sat next to him, holding his hand and murmuring comforting words to him.  
  
Across the room, Ron was gazing at his two friends (or rather the friend-he- wished-was-more-than-just-friends and the not-so-friend-now), jealousy churning away in his stomach.  
  
~#~  
  
Ron hadn't realised that Harry was softly singing under his breath until he stopped doing so, and it suddenly became significantly quieter.  
  
"Ron," Harry whispered, leaning over towards his redheaded friend.  
  
"What?" Ron whispered back, his eyes still fastened firmly on the Neville/Hermione situation.  
  
"I think. . . I think. . . I think that Snape wants to eat me."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"He's been staring at me for ages."  
  
Ron managed to pull his eyes away from the temporary infirmary corner to look at their professor.  
  
"Harry? He's staring at the ground."  
  
"Yes, but. . . are you sure? I mean, his eyes are all covered by that mop of greasy hair. How can you tell where he's looking?"  
  
"Because, Harry," Ron explained patiently. "His face is angled directly at the floor, thus making it impossible to look at you, without causing serious strain to various eye. . . parts." Ron's momentary intelligence petered out. "Why would he want to eat you anyway? He doesn't even like talking to you. I doubt he would want to put any part of you in his mouth."  
  
"Hmm. . ." Harry wasn't quite convinced, but didn't want his friend to think he was more insane than usual. Ron turned his gaze back to Neville and Hermione, who hadn't moved from their hand-in-hand position. Any thoughts of Snape wanting to eat Harry were completely lost from Ron's mind.  
  
~#~  
  
Draco glared at Harry and Ron. What were they whispering about? Was it him? Was his hair messed up?  
  
Draco's hand travelled unconsciously to his head, and smoothed down any hairs that may have escaped the copious amounts of hair gel he had applied that morning. A Malfoy always had to look his best, after all.  
  
Being a Malfoy wasn't all about money and parties - oh no. It was about making sure those who were lower than you knew perfectly well that you were better than them. It was about sucking up to those few individuals who were higher than you, and who could get you places. It was about having contacts, so you could get whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted it.  
  
Draco narrowed his eyes. They were still whispering. He saw Ron's eyes flicker towards Hermione and Neville in the corner. Were they whispering about them? Were Neville and Hermione an item then? But that couldn't be - Hermione was obviously hopelessly head-over-heels for Draco. Maybe Neville liked Hermione? Well - tough luck for him. As if he had a chance when he had a Malfoy for competition.  
  
Draco smirked to himself. It was hard being irresistible, but someone had to do it.  
  
~#~  
  
Snape was feeling the brutal pangs of disappointment. When he had at last believed that perhaps Neville had finally managed to do fatal damage to himself, the stupid boy regained consciousness, thus banishing any hopes that perhaps he was dead. Such a pity - from the very first class Snape had taught Longbottom, he had always held the glimmering hope that perhaps he would kill himself with his stupidity, thus relieving him of the torturous task of having to teach him.  
  
Alas, thought Severus. Perhaps next time.  
  
~#~  
  
And so, all six prisoners in the caved in dungeon sat in almost silence. . . waiting. . . thinking. . .  
  
Then-  
  
"I'm hurt too!" cried Ron.  
  
"Please don't eat me!" shouted Harry at the same time.  
  
Four pairs of eyes turned towards the two boys.  
  
"Er. . ."  
  
"Ah. . ."  
  
"You two," began Snape in his slow, smooth British accent. "Are both idiots."  
  
~#~  
  
A/N Meh. . . kinda ran out of ideas. I need some ideas for a new fic (am getting tired of the ones I've got on the go at the moment), so if anyone has any request, feel free to leave suggestions in a review.  
  
Chocolate frogs to all you wonderful people who have been reviewing, and to the people who are going to review this chapter :D Go You!!! 


	5. In which Hermione and Snape have somethi...

Trapped  
  
~#~  
  
Blushing furiously, Harry and Ron sat down (Ron rubbing the top of his head - he had smashed it on the low roof when he stood up during his little scene), both rather horrified at their outbursts. The two were still receiving rather strange looks from the other four inhabitants of the caved in classroom, so Harry cleared his throat.  
  
"So . . . ah . . . do you think we will be rescued soon?"  
  
"I couldn't possibly tell, Potter," Snape began in a poisonously low voice. "Being trapped under tonnes and tonnes of stone, I cannot really see if anyone is attempting to rescue us yet. Perhaps you should have considered the possibility of being trapped for several months before you decided to play silly-buggers and ruin everyone's day. Not to mention my dungeon. In case you can't tell, you have completely destroyed my dungeon beyond repair. There was millions of galleons worth of potions ingredients in here. It's entirely your fault it's gone. Now that I think about it, that's another 100 points from Gryffindor for being a complete and utter juvenile miscreant. "  
  
Harry felt rather offended - how was he supposed to have guessed that this might have happened. It's not like he and Ron were trying to aim for cauldrons or anything. How dare Snape suggest that he should have known that this would happen?  
  
Wait a minute - trapped for months? Was Snape exaggerating?  
  
"Er . . . months, Professor? Surely we wont be trapped for that long, will we? I mean, people in Hogsmeade must have heard, or seen . . . or something."  
  
Harry trailed off, his face rather paler and his hands shaking slightly.  
  
"Er . . . but what . . . what would we eat? I mean . . . there's not really anything in here that's . . . edible if you know what I mean."  
  
"Well, Potter. You just better pray that someone finds us before then. Either that, or pray that a certain Professor doesn't eat a certain student. There are laws about cannibalism you know. It's perfectly legal in certain situations." He glared at Harry menacingly. "I happen to know the 231 different situations by memory."  
  
Harry swallowed hard and began to hyperventilate.  
  
~#~  
  
On the other side of the room, Hermione was watching the verbal exchange with great interest. Professor Snape knew all the 231 different situations in which cannibalism was legal? So did she! Hermione found the finer points of Muggle law quite fascinating, and had studied the more obscure rules and regulations with great enthuse during the summer holidays  
  
"Oh - Professor! What do you think about situation 125?" She asked, dropping Neville's hand and forgetting about him - in the process making Ron just that much cheerier.  
  
Snape turned his gaze from the trembling Potter onto Hermione, rather disturbed that he had been interrupted during his speech of terror - from the looks of Potter, Snape had finally achieved his dream of inflicting permanent mental damage on the young wizard.  
  
"Excuse me, Granger? Did you just interrupt me? I believe you were not part of the conversation. Perhaps your mission for brownie points has made you forget that butting into other peoples private discussions isn't kosher - not even in Muggle society."  
  
Hermione bit her lip. It wasn't like Potter and Snape were having a private conversation. They were surrounded by four other people - and they weren't trying to whisper or anything.  
  
"I think you're being a bit unfair, Professor . . ." she trailed off as Snape's glare turned from icy annoyance, to a fiery kind of infuriation, and several green sparks sputtered from the end of his wand.  
  
"Granger, I'm warning you. Another word from your pretentious mouth and I will take 50 points from Gryffindor for being an unbearable brown-noser. And you best hope that I don't eat you next."  
  
Hermione let out her breath in a huff, and folded her arms, scowling. Pretentious? Brown-noser? She'd show him.  
  
One day.  
  
But at the moment, she decided to stay quiet. She didn't want to be second on the menu.  
  
~#~  
  
Draco had been watching all this with amusement. It always gave him a happy, fluttery kind of feeling in his stomach when his beloved Potions master started to have a go at someone, and when it was the idiotic Potter or that suck-up mudblood, he just couldn't help but grin. What more could he ask for?  
  
Well . . . now that he thought about it, there was quite a lot he could ask for. A bath, for instance. Some clean robes, some hair gel, and a comb. Some food would go down quite nicely as well. And it would be useful to have a mirror here. And he wasn't used to having to share a room with so many disgusting people. Sure, he had to share his dormitory at Hogwarts with several other boys, but they were all like him. Well, more like him than these insufferable Gryffindors. The other Slytherin boys weren't as alluring as he was, but at least they were Slytherins. That always counted for something.  
  
~#~  
  
Ron was feeling rather embarrassed after his wee outburst, but he figured that with all the conversations going on after, everyone had probably forgotten. Besides, compared to Harry's plea to Snape not to eat him (like that had gone well), Ron felt that his simple, "I'm hurt too" comment rather paled in comparison. And besides - it was true now, anyway. He had hit his head quite badly on the stone roof, and a sore lump was forming under his fiery red hair. Damn his manly height. Sometimes Ron wondered if life would be easier if he was a runt like Harry.  
  
No. It probably wouldn't be. Ron thought he was the perfect height for Hermione just the way he was. Hermione just had to realise this, and his life would be complete.  
  
The only trouble was, she was being awfully stubborn about *not* realising how right they were for each other.  
  
And with that thought on his mind, Ron decided once and for all to show Hermione exactly how perfect they would be together.  
  
~#~  
  
A/N oooh. Isn't that all exciting now? Well. No, not really. Or maybe you think it is. you'll have to review and tell me :D  
  
On another note, here's a bit of shameless self-promotion - I've started a new fic - a sappy, angsty Ron/Hermione one, called "Only Us". So, if you're into that, please go check it out and tell me what you think :D  
  
Love to you all *hugs* 


	6. In which Harry wishes he knew more

Trapped  
  
~#~  
  
Draco had a sudden revelation - he was a wizard! Yes, he had known that all his life, but for the past few hours of being trapped, he had been sitting uncomfortably on the floor, thinking about all the things that he would have liked at that very moment. But for crying out loud, he was a wizard! He could just magic his way to comfort until the time came when he was rescued (because a Malfoy was ALWAYS rescued).  
  
Having thought this, he whipped his wand out of his pocket and charmed a large, dark green leather couch out of thin air and plonked himself down on it, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. There - he was already more comfortable, and he was now obviously better off than the Gryffindors. Perhaps he should conjure up a couch for his favourite teacher as well - he was acting very crabby, maybe if he had something comfy to sit on he would be back to his usual nice-to-Draco self. He waved his wand lazily in the air, about to perform the spell a second time.  
  
"Professor, would you like a -"  
  
Draco didn't finish his sentence. A shot of green light flew out of the professor's wand and Draco was suddenly - painfully - lying on he ground once more.  
  
"Don't be a fool, Malfoy. Perhaps we are running out of air and you're becoming a bit light headed, but in case you hadn't noticed, you're trapped under tonnes and tonnes of stone in a caved in dungeon. Now is hardly the time for such stupid extravagance. 5 points from Slytherin for always thinking of yourself."  
  
Draco's bottom lip quivered. Not only did he has a very sore behind and nothing comfortable to sit on, his very favourite teacher had turned on him, and. . . (Draco found it very hard to comprehend), and. . . he had taken away house points! From his own house!!  
  
"But, Professor, surely we could be comfortable while we wait for my father. . ."  
  
Snape glared at him.  
  
"Maybe just a cushion?"  
  
Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Draco decided not to push his luck any further. Folding his arms crossly, he turned away from the professor and the Gryffindors and sat in silence, back to thinking about the things he wished he could have.  
  
~#~  
  
Gingerly, Ron poked at the lump on his head. He winced as it throbbed under his fingers. There was a small scratch on his head too, and a small trickle of blood. Glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention to him, he smeared the tiny amount of blood across his forehead. Faking a small coughing fit, he shifted noisily on the spot and angled his bloody forehead in Hermione's direction. Just as he had hoped, she looked over towards him.  
  
"Oh dear, Ron. You're bleeding," she stated. "Harry, will you see to him? I don't think I should leave Neville yet."  
  
Harry, shocked rudely from his thoughts, gave Ron a disgruntled look. Ron didn't notice this of course, as he was too busy feeling sorry for himself that his plan had once again failed.  
  
"He's not bleeding anymore, Hermione. The blood's dry. He can clean it off himself, surely."  
  
Hermione narrowed her eyes at Ron's forehead.  
  
"Yes, you are right, Harry. Sorry if I scared you, Ron. The bleeding's stopped."  
  
She turned back to Neville, and Ron pouted sulkily.  
  
~#~  
  
Hermione watched as Neville's eyelids twitched slightly. She felt sorry for him - as usual he was completely innocent in the situation, but seemed to be the worse off. She had been considering reviving him with a charm for a while, but thought perhaps he was better off unconscious. Being stuck inside a small, enclosed space with Snape wasn't fun for anyone, but it would probably be even worse for poor Neville, whom the professor was especially malicious to.  
  
Hermione stretched her arms above her head - she was feeling cramped and sore from sitting on the ground for so long. She would never, EVER admit it, but she thought that Draco had the right idea conjuring up certain comforts. She couldn't understand why Snape wouldn't let him - especially as Draco was most obviously his favourite pupil. Well, he used to be. It seemed as if Snape had taken a certain dislike to Draco. It was very uncharacteristic of the professor to be anything less than doting towards the blonde ferret-boy, but Hermione supposed that they were in a very testing situation.  
  
~#~  
  
Harry's eye's glazed over once again as his mind wandered off and got terribly lost in worrying thoughts. He glanced over towards the Potions Master, hoping that the rules of cannibalism stated that you couldn't eat anyone with glasses, messy hair and a lightening shaped scar.  
  
Why had it never occurred to Harry to learn the rules of cannibalism? Because of this obvious lack in his education, Snape now had a huge advantage over him. For all Harry knew, the laws could state that you had to eat the oldest person first - which would obviously be Snape. Naturally Snape wouldn't allow that and would pretend that you had to eat the runtiest person, or the person Snape hated the most, or the person who's name started with "Harry Potter".  
  
Harry shuddered and wrapped his arms tightly around his body to try and stop his trembling.  
  
Unless they were rescued soon, Harry knew there would be no chance he would be escaping this situation alive.  
  
~#~  
  
A/N Wow - it's been ages since I've updated - sorry!! It was my birthday last Tuesday, so I've been kinda busy doing... stuff. I'm not really doing anything at the moment though, so hopefully updates will come quicker now. In the mean time, go check out some of my other fics, and my favourites. And please leave a review! I usually go and check out my reviewers stories (I'm always on the lookout for more good ones to read), so it's not a total waste of time for you! And I love reviews.. Come on, make my day!!!  
  
*hugs to all* 


	7. In which Ron does a very stupid thing

Trapped  
  
~#~  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own.  
  
~#~  
  
Neville felt someone patting his hand. He was lying down - not in bed either, judging by the hardness of whatever it was he *was* lying on. Not to mention that sharp, pointy thing digging into his back. Suddenly his eyes flew open and he saw Hermione's concerned face peering over his. Shocked by this rather random turn of events (at least so he thought - last thing he remembered was eating a bowl of porridge for breakfast).  
  
He screamed and bolted upright, banging his forehead against Hermione's chin. Hermione shrieked and fell backwards, cupping her rapidly swelling jaw painfully in her hands as her eyes welled up with shocked tears. Neville stood up, screaming all the while. His hands her clenched firmly to either side of his face. Wide eyes wide open, he looked around the caved in dungeon. His knees were trembling as he took in the situation. He turned and his eyes rested on everybody's favourite potions master. In ordinary circumstances, Neville would have avoided this man at all costs. This situation, however, was anything *but* ordinary. Seeing Snape as the authority figure, and thus, the only person in the dungeon who cold get them out of the situation, Neville flung himself onto the disgusted-looking Professor.  
  
"Professor!" he cried, and then let out a stream of jumble, incomprehensible wailing's. "Where are we?!? How do we get out?!? HELP! HELP!"  
  
Snape fruitlessly tried to pry the hysterical boy off by poking him in the stomach with his wand. When this didn't work, Snape rolled his eyes and stunned Neville. Eye's wide open with shock, Neville slid to the ground.  
  
While Snape was still glaring at the unconscious student, Ron did something very stupid. I mean. . . brave. . . it's hard to tell with Gryffindors.  
  
"Don't you stun my friend, you overgrown bat! Stupefy!" He yelled. A jet of light flew across the enclosed space and hit Snape in the middle of his chest. The Professor froze, his wand still gripped tightly in his right hand, and then fell to the ground, landing on top of the comatose Neville.  
  
There was a moment of silence. Then -  
  
"RON! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!?! YOU JUST STUNNED A PROFESSOR!"  
  
Ron looked as if he didn't know quite *what* he was doing - he was staring white-faced at the limp body on the ground. His eyes were bugging out of his face and his mouth was hanging open. His wand clattered to the floor, forgotten, as his hands flew to his head and he started tugging at his hair.  
  
"OH MY GOD, RON! YOU JUST STUNNED PROFESSOR SNAPE! RON! RON? ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!?! YOU JUST STUNNED A TEACHER! RON! RONALD WEASLEY! YOU WILL NOT IGNORE ME! FOR GOD'S SAKE, RON, YOU JUST STUNNED A PROFESSOR -"  
  
Hermione continued her hysterical tirade, waving her arms frantically in the air, her swollen jaw forgotten as she screamed at her friend.  
  
Draco sat in the corner, staring in alarm at his beloved Head of House.  
  
Harry, however, seemed to be the only person who thought this change of event was a turn for the better. The fact was, he was positively relieved that the Potion's master was now unconscious.  
  
"You stunned Snape!" he laughed, slapping Ron on the back. "He can't eat me now!" Harry cried joyfully and began jumping up and down on the spot.  
  
Ron and Draco were still speechless, both of them gazing in horror at the man one loved and one loathed, lying spread eagled on the ground.  
  
". . .A TEACHER, RON. HAVE YOU NO RESPECT FOR OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM WHATSOEVER?"  
  
Ron didn't seem to notice anything that was going on around him - not Hermione screaming, nor Harry clapping his hands ecstatically nor even his own hands pulling out tufts of fiery red hair from his own head.  
  
"DO YOU REALISE HOW MUCH TROUBLE YOU'LL BE IN? FIRST YOU MAKE THE ENTIRE CASTLE FALL DOWN, CAUSING US TO BE TRAPPED IN THIS STUPID CAVED IN DUNGEON FOR GOD KNOWS HOW MANY HOURS AND THEN YOU STUN OUR TEACHER! RON! RON, YOU CAST A SPELL ON OUR PROFESSOR! RON, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?"  
  
Ron wasn't listening to Hermione. In fact, no one was.  
  
Draco slowly got up from his seat on the floor. He walked over the Snape and crouched down beside the oblivious man. Slowly he reached out a hand and stroked the greasy, black hair.  
  
Then he burst into tears.  
  
"You killed Snape!" he cried. "You killed him!"  
  
Draco stood up and ran at Ron, scratching and biting him. Harry intervened and gave Draco a harsh slap around the face. Draco stopped lashing out and just stood in front of Harry, his bottom lip quivering and his hand on his red cheek.  
  
"He's not dead, you idiot. Do you see any parties? Are there clowns and giant chocolate frogs and big choirs of angels? No! Then he's not dead. He's just stunned, you idiot." Harry glanced over at the unconscious man. "Besides, you can conjure up a couch now, Draco. I don't know why you're so upset."  
  
Draco sniffed.  
  
"I - I 'spose. . ." he said.  
  
". . .OH MY GOD, WE'RE GOING TO BE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE. WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW?!? RON, RON WOULD YOU LISTEN TO ME. RON, YOU GOT US INTO THIS MESS, NOW SOLVE IT!"  
  
Draco pulled his wand back out of his pocket and conjured up his green couch again. With a nervous glance over at Professor Snape, Draco climbed cautiously onto the seat. When he was settled comfortably and Snape had made no attempt to vanish the sofa away from under him, Draco beamed. Another flick of his wand later, Draco was holding a sliver goblet of pumpkin juice and the latest copy of 'Witch Weekly'. As an afterthought, he twirled his wand again and a large floppy sunhat appeared on his silver- blonde head. He tugged the side of it down to hide all the 'nasty Gryffindors' from his view, them flipped to the gossip page.  
  
On the other side of the caved in dungeon, Hermione was still ranting. Draco's beating seemed to have knocked Ron out of his daze somewhat, and he began to look horrified at what he had done.  
  
"Oh Lord. . . I stunned Snape. . ."  
  
". . . NO KIDDING, GENIUS! HE'S STUNNED, RON. YOU STUNNED HIM. HE'S OUT COLD. WHEN HE WAKES UP YOU ARE GOING TO BE IN SUCH DEEP WATER, MISTER. . ."  
  
"Ah, don't worry about it, Ron. I mean, if anything, you should get a medal. Order of Merlin, First Class I'd say. You have successfully prevented Cannibalism occurring here today." Harry's eyes glazed over somewhat. "This is one of the happiest moments of my life. . ."  
  
". . . STUNNED! STUNNED! OH MY GOD. . . OH MY GOD. . ."  
  
Harry sat down next to Ron and conjured up a chess board.  
  
"Fancy a game of Wizard's Chess, Ron?"  
  
Ron looked thoughtful for a moment, then, casting a glance over towards the comatose Potions Master, he sat down with Harry.  
  
"You're going down, mate. There's no way you can beat a teacher-stunner."  
  
~#~  
  
A/N My poor Snape. It hurt to write that, it really did. . . :P Thanks to all my reviewers! I love you! 


	8. In which Draco and Ron have fun with acr...

Trapped  
  
~#~  
  
"Checkmate!" Ron yelled triumphantly as his white bishop poked his tongue out at Harry's king. Harry pretended to pout, but the truth was he didn't really mind Ron beating him at chess - it was the only thing Ron could do better than anyone else. Ok, so the actual truth was that he was so happy that Snape was stunned and therefore incapable of consuming him that he couldn't have cared less if Ron tried to come on to him, let alone beat him at a stupid game of Wizard chess.  
  
Well, actually . . . that probably would have ruined his good mood, but thankfully for Harry he knew perfectly well that Ron had eyes for no one but Hermione. You may be wondering how Harry, one of the blindest people in the world when it came to other people feelings, would have actually noticed the sexual tension between his two best friends. Fact is he didn't, but a group of Gryffindors had been discussing it one day in the common room and Harry had pretended he knew what they were talking about. When he reflected on it later, he realized that it ought to have been obvious - when he saw his parents in the pensieve in his 5th year, they had both hated each other. What did Ron and Hermione do all the time? Argue, of course! So naturally they MUST be headed for marriage. Needless to say, the Dursleys (in the hopes that he would never procreate) had never bothered to give Harry the "birds and bees" talk, nor explained to him how love and marriage and the like worked, so it was no wonder, really, that Harry was so confused.  
  
Not that *that* particular story belongs here and should probably be saved for another day. So let's get back to the dungeons.  
  
So Ron was celebrating his victorious win over Harry and Harry was elated that the stunned potions master was no longer in a right state to eat him.  
  
Draco was still lying on his specially conjured couch reading about the finer points of embroidery charms in the latest 'Witch Weekly', Neville and Professor Snape were still out cold (and in a rather compromising position if anyone in the caved in dungeon had a dirty enough mind to think of that sort of thing) and Hermione was still in a right state at the events that had just taken place.  
  
"HE STUNNED. . . OUT COLD. . . HOW CAN YOU JUST SIT THERE AND PLAY CHESS? ISN'T STUNNING ONE TEACHER IN A DAY ENOUGH FOR YOU? DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO MAKE THOSE LITTLE MEN RUN AROUND THE BOARD KILLING EACH OTHER?"  
  
It seemed that Hermione was in what Ron liked to call "one of those moods" - although never to her face anymore (he still had a dent in the back of his skull from Hermione's Ancient Runes textbook). When she worked herself up like this, nothing was safe, and she was prone to verbally attack anything anyone was doing.  
  
"What are you going to do about it, Hermione? Become the founder of the 'Save the Chess Pieces Society'?" Harry asked.  
  
"SCPS? That's not as catchy as SPEW. How about the 'Rights and Welfare/Happiness for Game pieces' movement?"  
  
"RW/HG? That doesn't even make sense," Harry snorted.  
  
"Maybe not to you, Harry," Ron smiled secretively.  
  
"Frankly, Ron," Draco put his magazine down on his lap for a moment and joined in the conversation. "I think 'Hermione's Group for the Liberation of the Underprivileged and the Very Seriously Disadvantaged Movement' is far more accurate."  
  
It took Ron a moment to work out the anagram, but when he had finally got there he looked aghast.  
  
"She does not!"  
  
It seemed that Ron and Draco were the only ones who understood the secret messages behind their proposed chess piece rights slogans. Harry was still wondering how the heck Draco's proposal made any sense. It doesn't, of course, but Harry decided to smile and nod and pretend he understood.  
  
Hermione looked liked she was about to explode - her face was bright red and her hair seemed to be even more frizzy than usual.  
  
"AND WHY ARE THEY ALL MEN ANYWAY? WHY AREN'T THERE ANY WOMEN CHESS PIECES? OR CHILDREN? OR HOUSE ELVES? WHAT ABOUT THE HOUSE ELVES, RON? WHAT ABOUT THE HOUSE ELVES?"  
  
Draco was still sitting on his couch, smirking at Ron. Completely ignoring Hermione, they were still discussing the interesting theory Draco's anagram had brought up.  
  
"Oh really?" he sneered from underneath his large sunhat. "Then why has she been staring longingly at me the whole time we've been trapped in here?"  
  
Ron's face turned just as red as Hermione's was.  
  
"She has not! She's been looking after Neville the whole time!"  
  
Harry nodded. He liked to nod.  
  
"NO ONE THINKS OF THE HOUSE ELVES DO THEY? JUST THINK OF ALL THE POOR HOUSE ELVES THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FREE THAT HAVE BEEN HORRIBLY CRUSHED BY THIS STUPID CASTLE!" Hermione continued to screech. No one was paying her attention, as usual. Draco was too busy convincing Ron of his uncontrollable woman attracting charm - all Malfoys had it. There was no woman in the world that could resist it, not even a drippy Mudblood with awful, awful hair. Ron was valiantly protesting against this statement, of course.  
  
Harry continued to nod (it made him look intelligent, after all), although he had stopped trying to understand the various heated conversations around the room and his eyes had glazed over.  
  
"She despises you, Malfoy! She can't stand you! There's no WAY she is attracted to you!" Ron cried desperately, his orange hair sticking up all over his head like small flames.  
  
"Then how come she slapped me?" Draco replied coolly, every strand on his head slicked back to perfection. "She's never slapped you before, HAS she, Ron?"  
  
This certainly stopped Ron for a moment. Surely she must have slapped him sometime during their time together at Hogwarts. She must have . . . she certainly spent a lot of time yelling at him, and she was clearly unbalanced . . . she simply MUST have slapped him at some point in time . . .  
  
"Of course she has. Loads of times," Ron insisted, but rather unconvincingly. Draco gave Ron a pitiful look, Hermione a wink (just to stir things up a bit more) and turned back to his magazine.  
  
". . . TO BE CRUSHED TO A BLOODY END BY THE VERY CASTLE THAT OPPRESSED THEM DURING THEIR ENTIRE LIVES! THEY'VE BEEN SERVING US WITHOUT COMPLAINT FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AND NOW THEY'VE BEEN KILLED BY US!" Hermione's speech had moved her so much that she burst into tears. Ron had to admit that he was rather close to tears as well - to think that Hermione could like Malfoy over him! It was devastating.  
  
Ron sniffed and said quietly, "I've got nothing to live for. . ."  
  
Harry smiled sympathetically and nodded.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N hmmmm . . . Rather strange chapter. In the past chapters they've been divided into different characters POV's but now it's sorta all lumped together . . . I hope all the chopping and changing and stuff wasn't too confusing. Next chapter up soon I hope. Thank you all for reviewing! I love my reviews and reviewers so, so much! THANK YOU!!  
  
I don't think there will be many more chapters in this story. 10 is a nice number to end on, I think, and I can see the end in sight . . . so will they got out? Will Snape wake up and eat Ron instead of Harry? Will Hermione confess her undying love to one of the trapped, or is she too focused on her House Elf crusade to notice boys?  
  
You'll just have to wait and see . . . 


	9. In which Horoscopes are stupid and Malfo...

Trapped  
  
~#~  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, unfortunately. Also have nicked a couple of lines from the books and/or movies in this chapter, such as "that was bloody brilliant" and "some wizarding families are better than others". Both great lines. How could I not steal them :P  
  
~#~  
  
Hermione sat down heavily onto the dungeon floor, sending up a cloud of dust around her. She sat like that with her head in her arms, sobbing loudly and making the occasional mutterings about "house elves" and "oppression" and "mangled bodies". Had Professor Snape been conscious he would have no doubt sorted her out with a quick flick of his wand and some cleverly chosen words (most likely the same that Ron had used on him). So anyway. The only person in the caved in classroom with the sense of mind to actually do something about Hermione's hysteria was lying on the floor unconscious. The other inhabitants were all teenage boys and, lets be honest here, were not too good on feelings. Other than their own, of course.  
  
Neville was still out cold and trapped underneath the potions master. Before you feel sorry for him about being stunned, keep in mind how he would feel if he was fully conscious and trapped underneath the one person he was most afraid of in the universe. I think you'll agree that it was probably one of Professor Snape's more generous acts to stun the boy before falling on top of him.  
  
Draco had forgotten all about his provocation of Ron only ten minutes ago, and had turned his attention back to the 'Witch Weekly' magazine in his lap - his horoscope this edition was a doozy.  
  
Poor Ron, I'm afraid to say, had been brainwashed by Draco's trademark Malfoy Charm, so now instead of taking the opportunity to comfort Hermione and show her his sensitive side (or, you know, at least pretend he had one) he was too busy wallowing in his own despair to notice her anguish.  
  
As for Harry . . . well. There's not really much to be said about the Hero of the Wizarding world. Nothing nice, anyway. Perhaps it would be best if nothing was said until his eyes refocus and he wipes the dribble off his chin - the last chapter was choca-block full of confusing acronyms that were way over his head, and it may take awhile for the boy to recover.  
  
After explaining all of that, it would seem that there is nothing else to say - everyone was either unconscious or unable to string two sensible words together.  
  
Then something happened.  
  
Draco leapt up from his green leather couch with a yell.  
  
"Malfoy's do NOT 'feel inclined to engage in charitable work'" he cried in disgust, reading from his horoscope. "Just because I'm a Virgo doesn't mean I'm going to run off with all the other Virgos in the world and spread goodwill to Muggles and Mudbloods. Bloody ridiculous."  
  
"You're a Virgo?" Hermione sniffled, suddenly looking up from her arms in interest. "Me too. Not that I believe in that rubbish, of course. Fortune telling is a waste of time."  
  
Draco scowled and threw his magazine across the cave where it hit the wall of rubble and fell to the ground.  
  
"Well, obviously it is. I mean, *charitable* work? They're off their rockers. I swear, 'Witch Weekly' is going to the dogs. It used to be such an excellent publication." He sat back down on his lavish sofa and leaned back. "You know, I've always wanted to start my own magazine. 'Malfoy Monthly', maybe. There simply aren't enough magazines out there that focus solely on, well, on Me, for instance. I mean, I guess I could have some guest columns, and useful articles on nasty hexes and curses and the like. But yeah. A magazine about me would be great . . ."  
  
Hermione raised one eyebrow in amazement at Draco's arrogance.  
  
"It sounds like a pretty boring magazine, if you ask me. *I* wouldn't buy it."  
  
Draco rolled his eyes.  
  
"You wouldn't have the *opportunity* to buy it, would you. It would only be available to worthy customers. No Mudbloods allowed."  
  
Draco had called Hermione that so many times over the years that it no longer hurt her feelings. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but leap in and admonish him - she wasn't made Head Girl for keeping her mouth shut when she thought people ought to be told off.  
  
"Draco! You shouldn't say things like that. Ever. It really is awful. Now, I know you weren't brought up in the most ideal family environment-"  
  
"Excuse me?" Draco interrupted. "'The most ideal family environment?'. There is no better family to grow up in than the Malfoy family. Some Wizarding families are better than others, and the Malfoys are on the top of that list. The very top. So don't you even suggest that my childhood wasn't the best that gold can buy, because it *was*."  
  
"There is more to a good childhood than family history and gold."  
  
"Well if there is, then I didn't need it. I'm quite happy with the way I've turned out, and I owe it all to my Malfoy upbringing."  
  
"You're happy with the way you turned out? You've got to be joking. You're the most conceited, big-headed, completely undesirable person I have ever met. I can't imagine anyone in the world who I would less like to be."  
  
Draco's eyebrows shot up towards his platinum hairline in surprise - how could anyone in the world - Muggle OR Wizard - not want to be like him? Not want to BE him?  
  
"Yeah? Well, at least I don't have bushy hair and chipmunk teeth," he snapped, ignoring the fact that her teeth had been perfectly fine since fourth year.  
  
"How can anyone tell *what* your hair is like? You wear an entire bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it every day. For all anyone knows your hair is so big you can't even get through doorways if you don't slick it down."  
  
Draco narrowed his eyes. That was truly a low blow.  
  
"You take that back," he said, gripping his wand so tightly his knuckles were white. He stood up from his couch and glared at her with thin lips and cold eyes.  
  
Hermione sniffed and looked away from him.  
  
"No," she said.  
  
"MALFOY'S DO NOT HAVE BUSHY HAIR!" he screamed, and launched himself on top of her, forgetting all about his wand.  
  
Hermione, however, hadn't forgotten about *her* wand, and she now used it to cast a full body bind aimed carefully in the middle of his chest. His limbs snapped together and he stiffly fell to the floor to lie a foot away from her.  
  
"Wow," breathed Ron, who had been gazing on at this exchange in amazement. "That was bloody brilliant, Hermione."  
  
Ron, of course, was delighted. Hermione wouldn't have cast the full body bind on Malfoy if she liked him! Ron was back in the running after all!  
  
He stood up and was just about to run over to Malfoy and give him a few good, sharp kicks in the back when someone grabbed the scruff of his robes and lifted him off the floor.  
  
"Thought you could stun me and get away with it, did you?" a deadly cold voice whispered in his ear. Ron's heart dropped down into his feet as his eyes widened in horror.  
  
The stunning spell had worn off and Snape was awake once more.  
  
~#~  
  
A/N Teehee - Malfoy is such a spoilt brat. Ah, I love him. And the others too, of course. Well. Please review!! I'm so, so close too 100 - I never, EVER thought I would be one of those triple figure review people! It's fricking amazing! Woo!! A HUMUNGOUS THANK YOU to every single person who has reviewed, especially those who have reviewed more than once. You guys are truly my favourite people in the world (after JKR, of course, but I know you understand). Wow. I'm so excited . . .  
  
So anyhoo, please review this chapter. I've added a Sneak Preview of Chapter 5 of Sev's Diary, if you are following that fic (and it's my favourite out of all the ones I've written, so you should check it out if you haven't *winkwink*). Yup. I think that's about all. If you have any fics you want me to read and review, just mention them in a review and I'll go read them ASAP - I'll probably check them out even if you don't mention them, but I'll do it quicker if you make a special request :D  
  
THANK YOU for reading! 


	10. In which Draco sings in Falsetto Badly

Trapped - Chapter 10 In which Draco sings in Falsetto. Badly.  
  
~*~  
  
Disclaimer: I own my own wand, but none that are mentioned in this fic. Or their owners. Or pretty much everything that's in here. Ah well, maybe one day.  
  
~*~  
  
Even Ron's freckles had turned the colour of a potion gone wrong. The greeny colour did nothing to become him - whilst comparing his face and hair, Hermione was strongly reminded of Christmas time.  
  
"Did you really think that Stunning me would be a good idea, Weasley?" Professor Snape spat in his diabolically sexy voice. "No," he continued, eyes narrowed in icy rage. "I daresay you didn't think at all, did you?"  
  
Ron swallowed loudly, trying to rid himself of the huge lump that had formed in his throat. The obstruction didn't move and Ron found himself hoping that it was a huge poisonous toad, or a vial of poison - anything that would kill him quickly and less painfully than Snape was about to would be wonderful.  
  
Harry and Hermione were looking on at this spectacle with looks of absolute horror on their faces (although Hermione was, admittedly, mixed with a touch of her I-told-you-Stunning-Snape-was-a-bloody-stupid-idea look). While Harry hoped that Snape wouldn't take any more points from Gryffindor, Hermione wondered if there was any way to distract Snape from killing and eating Ron - he was much too thin and scrawny. If they were going to be forced into cannibalism to survive, then Neville would be a much better choice - he had a lot more meat on him than Ron did.  
  
Face deadly pale, eyes glowing with rage and nostrils flaring, Snape's focus was entirely on Ron.  
  
"How DARE you hex me, you disrespectful, insubordinate, little BRAT." Still holding Ron by the scruff of his robes with one hand, Snape raised his wand and pressed the tip against the quivering red-heads temple.  
  
"I can assure you, Weasley, that I know an infinite amount of curses and hexes that are far more horrific and terrifying than you can even imagine. The only problem I have is deciding which one to use on you."  
  
Ron's feet, dangling several inches above the dusty floor, were shaking madly as he screwed up his eyes and waited for Snape to do his worst. Hermione, seized with the sudden, mad desire to flout authority and save her friend, whispered a few well chosen words. A shot of pink light flew across the room and hit Draco, who was just beginning to recover from the full-body bind Hermione had cast on him earlier. The blonde boy leapt to his feet with an enormously cheesy grin plastered across his pointy face and began to do a strange line dance.  
  
"Hex me, baby, one more time. . ." he warbled loudly in a disturbing falsetto. He twirled around madly and cast a seductive look over his shoulder.  
  
"What the - ?" The Potions Master dropped Ron on the ground and turned to see who could possibly be so inconsiderate as to distract him from his disciplinary focus. Horrified, Snape stared at the shimmying Malfoy as he flung his arms out, still crooning the out-of-date Weird Sisters hit.  
  
Whilst the Professor was distracted by the excruciating sight of his favourite student cavorting in a thoroughly Non-Slytherin manner, Hermione flicked her wand again and sent a flash of light towards Ron. Still crumpled on the floor, and shocked that he was still in one piece, Ron didn't see the spell coming towards him. He would be very confused in a few hours when he was finally transformed back into his human self.  
  
That's right - transformed back into his human self. Hermione's excellent Transfiguration skills had finally come in handy and she had transfigured Ron into a small rock. No one noticed this rather spectacular example of spell-casting, but that was the point (or so Hermione consoled herself as she crept behind Snape and kicked the rock!Ron in amongst all the other rubble).  
  
Eye twitching in anger (and downright disgust - what a terrible rendition of what was a hideous song to begin with), Snape flourished his wand and hit Malfoy with a counter curse. As soon as the spell was lifted, the raunchy smile left Malfoys face and he threw himself across the caved in dungeon towards Hermione.  
  
"YOU - MADE - ME - SING!!" he yelled as he tried to get a grip around her throat. Snape grabbed him by the back of his robes and held him in place, straining forward to try and strangle her.  
  
Hermione put on her most innocent I-would-never-misuse-my-magical-abilities look.  
  
"What? I don't understand what you're talking about, Draco," she smiled sweetly.  
  
"YOU - MADE - ME - *SMILE*" he screeched, still straining against the Potion masters hold.  
  
"Malfoy, you are really getting on my nerves. This is no time for an impromptu drag show. Sit in the corner and keep your mouth closed while I deal with Weasley."  
  
He shoved the humiliated boy towards the corner and turned back to Ron. Or rather, turned back to where he had left Ron.  
  
"What the - ? Where the - ? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" he yelled angrily, turning his outraged and accusing face towards Harry and Hermione. Harry paled. Hermione stood firm.  
  
"Perhaps he found a way out, Professor?" Hermione suggested helpfully.  
  
"Don't be stupid," he growled, but cast his gaze around the room anyway, half expecting to see an open door somewhere. "Where IS he?"  
  
Hermione shrugged and tried to keep her face clear of all guilt. Harry finally caught on to what was happening.  
  
"Hey - where did Ron go?"  
  
~*~  
  
A/N *shudders* I can't believe I made Malfoy sing and dance *sobs* I'm so sorry! It's against all my fanfic morals! But I needed a distraction. . . and he was there. . . and. Well. Ok, so there's no excuse for it, but it's done now. And at least Snape didn't join in. See? It could have been SO much worse.  
  
Sorry it's been such a long time since I updated. Like, two months or something. It appears that my previous comments about this story only being 10 chapters was WRONG and it seems as though there's still some ideas in me yet.  
  
A billion thanks to all who have reviewed! Merlin how I love reviews :D You guys rock so, sooooo much! Hugs and chocolate frogs to all! And I promise to write personal messages to everyone who reviews this chapter in my next chapter. Don't you love author/fan communication? Heh... 


	11. In which Ron is Hermione’s Friend And Th...

**Trapped** - Chapter 11 In which Ron is Hermione's Friend. And That is All. Honest.  
  
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Disclaimer: I seriously don't know why people bother to write these. I mean, it's not like JKR is going to sue each and every single fanfic writer, nor is it likely that anyone will think any fanfiction is actually written by her. . . oh, FINE then. Don't own characters, places, objects or related indicia.  
  
#  
  
"Hey - where did Ron go?" Harry asked, twisting around to look in all the corners with a puzzled expression on his face.  
  
"Don't be a fool, Potter - what have you done with him?"  
  
Harry's eyes grew wide beneath his trademark glasses.  
  
"But - but, Professor - I didn't do anything!"  
  
Snape glared at Harry for several moments (which felt like a lot longer to Harry - there were rumours that once Professor Snape had glared at a student so hard that they had spontaneously combusted. Harry had never quite believed it to be true, but was now wondering whether he would be the next victim) before rolling his eyes.  
  
"I suppose you're far to dull to have had any helping hand in the situation. . . 10 points from Gryffindor for. . . well. You can pick a reason for yourself." He turned his icy gaze onto Hermione. "Obviously it was you - no one else in this room would have bothered to try and save Weasley."  
  
Hermione swallowed hard - she was hoping someone would have saved them by now, or at least distracted the Potion's Master before he could punish her. . . She fingered her wand, wondering if perhaps she could get away with hexing Malfoy to dance for them again.  
  
"Don't even think about it," Snape hissed. He flicked his wand towards her and her own wand flew out of her hand and into his left one. "You are completely unarmed, there's no way out of this situation. So, tell me. . . What. Have. You. Done?"  
  
"Er. . ." Hermione, so quick minded when it came to yelling at Ron or solving complicated riddles (such as the Complexities of a Woman's Mind), wasn't quite sure what to say. Was it really worth trying to lie to her Professor? She knew perfectly well the Professor Snape was a very powerful Legilimens, and could easily extract the information out of her if he wanted to - if she lied and he found out, surely she would be in even more trouble than she was now?  
  
"Well. . . er. . . Professor. . ." she faltered as his eye twitched and several sparks flew out of the end of his wand. Oh Merlin. . . what was she doing?  
  
"I. . . I really don't know where he is. . ."  
  
Amazed at the words that tumbled out of her mouth, Hermione's heart thudded loudly in her chest. She forced her mouth into a kind of wobbly half-smile, in the hopes that it would make her sound more convincing. Severus Snape glowered at bushy-haired seventh year before he snarled angrily and spun away from her. Hermione let out an enormous sigh of relief as the furious Potions Master stalked around the caved-in dungeon, his wand blasting sporadically at the rubble in the dim hope that he might possibly scare the gangly red-head out of hiding.  
  
Still wide-eyed, Harry turned toward his female friend.  
  
"Hermione?" he hissed. "Where's Ron? I swear he was just here, then Malfoy started dancing and. . ." Harry paused. "Well, no wonder he's gone. That would scare anyone away."  
  
Malfoy heard this comment, but thankfully had the common sense to know that now would be a terrible time to provoke his Head of House, and contented himself by sending Potter one of his most Deadly Malfoy Sneers.  
  
In the center of the room, Snape let out a particularly loud growl. He stood with his chest heaving, sweat running down his pale temples and a limp piece of hair falling over his forehead into his eyes.  
  
"MISTER WEASLEY - I SWEAR WHEN I EVENTUALLY FIND YOU, YOU WILL WISH YOU HAD NEVER SURVIVED YOUR CHILDHOOD!" he thundered, eyes flashing wildly in the dim light of the room and pale hands trembling with rage.  
  
Hermione winced - not so much at the rather disturbing outburst, but more at the fact that she had apparently sentenced Her Ron to a rather horrific death.  
  
Or rather, her _friend_ Ron. Yes. Yes, that's what she meant. Her Friend. That's all.  
  
#  
  
In the corner, Malfoy watched the goings on with a certain amount of satisfaction. Ha! That would show everyone not to mess with Slytherins. Served Ron right for letting his stupid Mudblood "girlfriend" hex a Malfoy. If only his father was here. _Then_ they'd be sorry, oh yes. Lucius Malfoy would have a lot to say about the unforgivable treatment of his son. Even Professor Snape would be sorry once his father found out.  
  
Just the very thought of his father getting revenge on these bloody Gryffindors on his sons behalf bought a smirk to Draco's face.  
  
Oh, it truly was wonderful to be a Malfoy.  
  
#  
  
Severus Snape was now in a truly foul mood. Utterly loathsome. Even worse than before. In fact, it would probably be safe to say that he was in one of the worst mood's he'd ever been in. Even worse than the time Sirius Black had charmed his cauldron to shout out ridiculous insults every time he stirred it, the Bastard. Well, _he_ got his comeuppance. . .  
  
Of course, reminiscing about old enemies certainly wasn't going to get him out of this fix. He didn't care if he left all his imbecile students behind in this prison (in fact, it would be better that way, really), just as long as he got out. Preferably Soon.  
  
Also there was the question of how to find that Weasley kid and punish him as he deserved. Actually, while he was thinking about that -  
  
"50 points from Gryffindor," he announced to the room. No one took any notice of this - he had taken so many points off Gryffindor in the last few hours that there was no way they had any left to take. If the hourglasses containing the points hadn't been smashed in the explosion anyway. Or, indeed, if there even _was_ still a Hogwarts at all.  
  
But he could deal properly with Weasley later. He couldn't hide from Severus for long. . . and when he found him. . . but first he had to get out of this cramped dungeon.  
  
The question was, How?  
  
#  
  
**A/N** Sorry it's been so long since I updated. Like, two months or something. Still, here it finally is. Thanks to popular demand, this story is obviously going to be longer than the ten chapters :D An ENORMOUS thankyou to every single person who has reviewed, especially those who have reviewed more than once, and those who will review this chapter. There are no words to express my love of reviews. Thank you so, so much. As usual, I endeavour to read and review my reviewers stories.  
  
Anyhoo, I promised to write personal messages to all my reviewers of Chapter 10, so here we go. . . takes deep breath  
  
Awkward: Yeah, well - you were definitely part of the reason I continued :D How could I ignore such a lovely request from a fabulous fan? Hope you liked this chapter. . . Sorry, no Snape in bunny boxers. I'm of the firm belief that he wears only the finest black silk boxers :P And I'm always open to suggestions so bully away.  
  
Olivia: Wow - just realised I haven't emailed you in ages!! I feel bad now. . . hope you're doing fab dearie. I will probably email you to tell you I've updated, although I'm not sure if you're still interested in this But I luv ya anyhoo, so be sure to email me to tell me how you are!  
  
Melwasul: Hehe - he DOES have a dead sexy voice, doesn't he? Have you seen PoA yet? More Snapalicious speeches in that. Oh yeah! Thanks so much for your review - hope you liked this chapter.  
  
Lady Manetsu: Um. . . I'm not sure if I understand what you meant. . . or maybe I did when I first read it, and it's been so long I've forgotten? Er. . . sorry about that :D But thanks for the review anyhoo I guess.  
  
Mr Padfoot1: Here's more! Sorry it took so, sooo long to write it. Thanks for the review - am really glad you think it's funny - hope you liked this chapter too.  
  
MajinSakuko: So glad you like it!! Snape's voice IS sexy, isn't it? Hehe! Glad I've found another Snape-voice-day-dreamer! I don't think Draco's seductive glance was meant for anyone in particular. . . or maybe it was? I'll let you decide   
  
Empress T'Pau: Aw, thank you SO much! The fact you love my story really means a lot - big warm and fuzzy feelings here! Obviously I've posted more, I hope you continue to like it!  
  
kraeg001: Thanks for the review - what about it did you think was funny? Anything in particular?  
  
Ninny Weasley: you're review was so fantastic! Thank you so, so much for it. I just read it again and now I can't stop smiling - woo! Thank you! I will definitely check out checkmated.com - I'm an enormous R/H shipper (have you seen PoA? Some truly heartbreaking moments in there - I almost cried at times it was just so cute!!!) so even if I don't get around to posting, I'll definitely be spending a lot of time there reading! Oh - and I adore your 'Detention' fic - it's gorgeous! But I left you reviews so you already know that Anyhoo, thanks for the great review!  
  
Sapphire Ice Witch: Here's more :) Hope you like it as much as the rest.  
  
Vluko1: Glad you love it! I wasn't planning on it becoming a Snape/Harry fic. . . I definitely think they hate each other too much. In this fic anyhoo. . . And of course I reviewed your fic - it has real potential - are you going to continue it? Please do.  
  
In other news - anyone seen PoA yet? I LOVE IT!!! Well, not all of it (don't want to spoil it for the people who haven't seen it yet so wont expand on that), but overall, definitely best of the three 


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